Speaking to Boxing News before the fight was announced, his trainer Tony Sims said, “He’s had a lot of traumatic experiences going on in his life last year, that people probably don’t realise how much it affected him.” Burns was also engaged in a legal dispute with his former promoter Frank Warren.

“His head’s a lot clearer now, he’s walking around with a smile on his face. He’s sparring, he’s sparring well,” Sims continued. “He’s been a two-time world champion, he’s got that experience, he’s got that ability to come again.”